Nicki Minaj made a big splash at the VMAs in Prudential Center, Newark, N.J this weekend. In addition to accepting the Video Vanguard Award, Minaj performed some of her hits and hosted a segment of the show.
A Riveting Medley
All eyes were on Nicki Minaj this weekend as she accepted her accolade for the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award and hosted a segment of the show. At the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night, The “Super Freaky Girl” rapper stunned the crowd with an engaging rollout of some of her most riveting records from “Moment 4 Life” to “Monster.” Minaj graced the stage in Barbiecore, which consisted of a high pink ponytail and a bejeweled pink outfit. She also channeled her inner Barbie with a dream house with “Nicki.” Fans were thrilled with Minaj’s nostalgic medley, choreography, and seamless rendition of some of her most renowned hits and rounded out the performance with her recent release, “Super Freaky Girl,” which debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and sampled Rick James’ 1981 classic “Super Freak. The performance drew positive reactions from the crowd including celebrities.
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Minaj also made history as the first Video Vanguard honoree since Missy Elliot and is one of the few rap icons to receive the award in the last decade. During her acceptance speech, Minaj took the time to acknowledge the many people who contributed to the success of her career, including Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, and Drake. The “Super Freaky Girl” rapper also talked about the importance of taking mental health seriously and paid her respects to some of the artists who had lost their lives, including Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Pop Smoke, Juice WRLD, and Nipsey Hustle.
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Outfit
Later in the evening, Minaj also received her sixth career VMAs for her “Do We Have a Problem?” record with Lil Baby. While hosting the event, the emcee exuded personality and humor while gracing the stage in a dazzling, jewel-encrusted, all-pink Dolce and Gabbana ensemble. While hosting the event, she was joined by fellow Queens native LL Cool J. She later changed into a brown, optical illusion dress with criss-cross designs on the sides, topped with her signature bob.
Minaj received the Video Vanguard Award as one of the most prominent artists to influence pop culture over the years. The award is considered to be the greatest accolade that an artist can receive at the VMAs.